Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Henry Wise, 37, was found hanging in a shed at the rear of his home in Little Bacon street, Grafton, early yesterday morning. The gruesome discovery was made by the man's father-in-law, Mr. H. Pullen, who was living in the same house, in which two children of deceased, girls aged 12 and 13, were sleeping at the time.
Mr. Pullen went to the shed to get wood to make a fire, about 5 a.m., and was horrified to find the body of his son-in-law hanging from a beam to which a rope had been tied, the other end of which was round the man's neck.
Deceased was a returned soldier, having served in the 41st Battalion, and had suffered a great deal as a result of injuries received in the war. He only recently returned from Randwick Military Hospital.
Deceased’s wife is visiting Sydney.
Constable Robinson removed the body to the morgue after it had been seen by the Coroner and Government Medical Officer.
An inquest will be held. – The Daily Examiner, Grafton, issue dated Tuesday February 20, 1934.

The funeral of the late Henry J. Wise, who served in the 41st Battalion during the war, took place at Grafton yesterday. Leaving the Returned Soldiers' Club Rooms at 2 o'clock the cortege, accompanied by officials of the R.S. and S.I.L., moved to the Grafton Methodist Church where a service was conducted by Rev. W. C. Fullerton, assisted by Rev. A. C. Maynard and Adjutant Wooster. The interment took place in the Methodist portion of the Grafton cemetery, the Last Post being sounded by Bandmaster Haggar, of the Salvation Army. Wreaths were received from the Grafton Sub-branch of the R.S. and S.I. League, G.U.O.O.F. Lodge and the Grafton Cycle Club, with which he was associated for a number of years. Many other floral tributes were received. – The Daily Examiner, Grafton, issue dated Wednesday February 21, 1934.

At the Grafton Courthouse yesterday an inquest was conducted by the Deputy Coroner, Mr. F. M. V. Earle, into the death of Harry Wise, a returned soldier, who was found hanging from a rope in a shed at the rear of his residence in Little Bacon street, Grafton, on February 19.
Dr E. P. Holland said he examined the body of the deceased at the morgue at the Grafton District Hospital on the morning of February 19, and formed the opinion that death was caused by asphyxia due to hanging. (He was aware that Wise was recently sent to Sydney by the Repatriation Department for treatment, and that his nervous condition was unstable.
Constable R. N. A. Robinson said he was awakened at about 5.30 a.m. on February 19 by a man named Harry Pullen, who stated that he wanted him to go over to the house in which his son in law had hanged himself. Upon arrival at the house in Little Bacon street witness saw the body of a man, whom he knew to be the deceased, hanging by the neck from a rafter in the wood shed at the rear of his residence. He communicated with Dr Holland and the Ambulance. From inquiries he had made he was satisfied there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.
Harry Pullen, old age pensioner, said that on arising between 5 and 5 30 a.m. on February 19 he went to get some wood for the fire and discovered his son-in-law, Harry Wise, hanging from a beam in the wood shed. He reported the matter to Constable Robinson. The deceased had been receiving treatment at the Randwick Military Hospital for about three months, and upon his return his mind seemed to be wandering. On no occasion had he heard him threaten to take his life. Deceased was a man of very temperate habits.
Ruby Alice Wise, wife of the deceased, said that her husband, who had been undergoing treatment for war disability, was discharged from hospital on February 15. He had been suffering from head trouble since the war, and seemed to be getting worse. He had been complaining a lot of head trouble, which seemed to affect his limbs and memory. He was occasionally very depressed, but he did not threaten to take his life.
The Deputy-Coroner found that Wise died from suffocation, wilfully caused by hanging himself, whilst temporarily of unsound mind. – The Daily Examiner, Grafton, issue dated Wednesday February 28, 1934.